What's Wrong With This Picture?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Michael’s last posting talked about all of the basketball hoops he passed on his drive home. So, I started looking around during my drives as well. Normally, this Lifetime365 blog has been featuring upbeat, inspirational stories. But, the overall purpose of a corporate blog is to be open and honest. So, sometimes, it needs to serve as a reality check.

Unfortunately, instead of counting how many basketball hoops I passed on my drive, I noticed how many people set up their basketball hoops improperly. I pass this particular basketball hoop in the photo on my way to take my son to preschool everyday and it just makes me cringe. It reminds me of one of those children’s coloring book games where you are supposed to find and circle all of the things wrong in the picture. This photo has so many things wrong, it’s too scary to count!

First of all, it’s not a Lifetime basketball hoop… and that’s just wrong in itself. :) Ok, all kidding aside, whether it is a Lifetime basketball hoop or not, this basketball hoop is completely unsafe for multiple reasons. I know even Lifetime’s competitors do not advocate or support setting up a basketball hoop in this manner.

Portable basketball hoops are a great invention. You can take them with you if you move, they are easy to “install”, and you can relocate them if necessary. The bases are made to be filled with sand or water to weigh down the base and keep the system from tipping. But, let me be completely honest with you…even though they are labeled as “portable”, they are actually really heavy and don’t move very easily when they are full! Reality check - your 10-year-old is definitely not going to be able to simply tip the basketball hoop over when it is filled and conveniently push it around the driveway and out of the way like it’s a vacuum cleaner. More honesty…yes, it’s difficult even for adults. The portability actually only becomes a true feature when the base is empty. Why? We want to keep you safe! We’ve done our homework. The systems are put through dozens of rigorous safety tests to determine how heavy the bases need to be to keep them from tipping. Unfortunately, too often, people simply lay bags of sand, cement blocks, or large rocks (like in the photo) on top of the base to weigh it down. (Ironically, lifting that huge rock is probably harder than moving the basketball hoop!) What if those “fixes” don’t weigh enough? What if they slide off? What if your kid tries to rebound the ball and falls on the cement block? At risk of sounding like your mother…the directions are there for a reason! Please follow the assembly instructions your manufacturer provided and fill the base with the appropriate amount of sand or water to prevent your hoop from tipping over. (If you have a Lifetime basketball system, I've made it easy to access your assembly instructions, just click this link and find your model.) And, furthermore, the hoop should be on a flat surface. As you can see in this photo, these people have even shimmied another rock under the front of the basketball hoop in an attempt to make it level. Better idea - take the extra time and necessary steps to level your ground by adding more dirt, pouring concrete, etc.

Another sight that disheartens Lifetime employees is when we see basketball hoops set up for the city street to be the court area. Even if you think your street doesn’t have much traffic, you never know when a kid (or adult) may run to chase the ball and not notice an oncoming car. (This particular basketball hoop in the photo is in double danger since it’s actually on the corner of two streets!) Playing in the street puts both the basketball players and drivers in danger. And, if the hoops are actually placed directly on the street (rather than on a sidewalk or curb) they can be a driving hazard. Did you know for this very reason that some cities and subdivision Homeowner Associations actually have ordinances making it illegal to place your basketball hoop on the edge of the street? Save yourself some hassle and do some checking before you decide where to set up your hoop.

Obviously, Lifetime encourages people to get out and play basketball. It’s a fun activity that promotes healthy lifestyles and brings families and neighborhoods together. But, we also encourage you to be smart and safe. When you set up your basketball hoop, be sure to find a secure place for your hoop and then follow the assembly instructions completely and properly.

Jan

Name- Jan

What I do for a living- First and foremost, I'm a doting mommy of a second grader and a 4-year-old, and a proud wife of a USAF F-16 fighter pilot! In my pre-children life, I was the Communications Manager for Lifetime Products. But, once you're a Lifetime fan, you're hooked! So, after a few years of hiatus, I'm now a WAHM and am happily back on board at Lifetime as a freelance PR Consultant. In addition to blogging for Lifetime, you can follow and chat with me on Lifetime's Twitter account @Lifetime365 and on the Lifetime Products Facebook page!

Topics I blog about- How I use Lifetime products in my everyday life at home, for kids parties and community activities, as well as inspiring stories... and GIVEAWAYS! :)

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